Palau Establishes Steering Committee to Guide Passport Digitalization

Ngerekebesang, Palau – The Government of Palau, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and with support from the Government of Japan, has launched its first official meeting under the Enhancing Border Management Capacity through the Introduction of an E-Passport for the Republic of Palau project.

Launched at the Embassy of Japan in Ngerekebesang on 18 April 2025., the project marks a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to align Palauan passports with international good practices to augment security of the passport issuance system. This shift will not only protect Palauan passport holders from identity theft but also ensure seamless access to passport application for all citizens.

The meeting convened key stakeholders including Gustav Aitaro, Minister of State, Hiroyuki Orikasa, Ambassador of Japan to Palau, senior officials from the Ministry of State, Finance, Justice and the Judiciary Branch along with representatives from IOM and the Embassy of Japan.

The USD 4.5 million initiative, funded by the Government of Japan, will transition Palauan passports to electronic, machine-readable passports (e-MRPs) that feature embedded biometric data, significantly improving security and global compatibility. Over the next three years, the project will digitalize Palau’s passport application and issuance systems and introduce new technologies and infrastructure to strengthen the country’s identity management capacity.

In his opening remarks, Minister Aitaro, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening travel document integrity and enhancing service delivery to Palauan citizens.

Ambassador Orikasa emphasized Japan’s strong partnership with Palau in building effective border systems.

Salvatore Sortino, IOM Chief of Mission for Micronesia, highlighted the project’s potential to improve travel convenience, reduce identity fraud, and strengthen regional security.

A key outcome of the meeting was the formal establishment of the Project Steering Committee, which will provide strategic oversight and ensure inter-agency coordination throughout the life of the project. Chaired by the Minister of State, the Committee comprises senior representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Justice, Judiciary Branch, and Embassy of Japan (as an observer), with IOM serving as the Secretariat.

The E-Passport Project is a timely intervention that responds to the evolving mobility needs of Palauans and the realities of international travel in a post-pandemic world. It represents a major step forward in strengthening Palau’s border infrastructure and expanding access to secure, reliable travel documents for all its citizens. The members of the Steering Committee will meet again in August to review project progress.

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For more information, please contact at IOM Micronesia: Yohan Senarath at ysenarath@iom.int in Palau or Haimanot Abebe at haabebe@iom.int, +691 320 8735 in the Federated States of Micronesia